


you keep me calm when you breathe in

by summerplaylist



Series: the hero of the light [2]
Category: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-27
Updated: 2016-10-20
Packaged: 2018-08-17 02:38:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 6,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8127145
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/summerplaylist/pseuds/summerplaylist
Summary: She had left for a reason. Link knew this. She had given him the chance to stand on his own—a chance to be himself, all on his own. And maybe he should take that chance without question. Maybe. But without her, he couldn't see much of a point.





	1. touch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Thanks for reading! I plan to update this fic Tuesdays and Thursdays until completion. And as always, feedback is greatly appreciated! <3

Link had been home for nearly a year. Home, Zelda called it. But it wasn't, not really.

And maybe it never was.

Link was hardly there, running off to attend to other matters. He was a true hero—everybody said so. He helped the common people with their problems and he did all of it without the slightest complaint.

Kakariko Village was becoming a true village again, its buildings being repaired and new families moving in. The roads stretching between provinces were marked with better signs and paved with stone. The cobblestones in Castle Town had never been cleaner, the fountain gleamed a bright white.

But when Link did return to the castle, Zelda couldn't help but notice that the candle in his bedchamber was always lit, its light seeping out into the hallway and warming up the castle late into the night. Far past the time that was appropriate for any type of studying or late night reading.

And she couldn't help but notice that he hadn't spoken to her once, not in all this time. That he hadn't been able to look Impa in the eye, even after she begged him for forgiveness and admitted that losing him felt like losing herself.

Link was, and maybe he always had been, a mystery. One that was impossible to solve.

Maybe Zelda should just give up.

“The hero has arrived,” Impa said, entering the throne room. The memories of Ganondorf being killed entered Zelda's mind—it was the strangest moments that prompted that violent image. Maybe it was the blood stains on the floor that reminded her—the ones nobody had ever managed to get out, no matter how hard they were scrubbed or how long they worked at it.

“Send him in,” Zelda said, blinking away the gruesome image. “I would like to greet him properly. It has been a good while now, hasn't it?”

Impa nodded. There was that sadness in her eyes. It had never left. She had killed the hero, it was true, but she wasn't an evil person.

One action should not define a person forever. Zelda knew that. She had to know that; otherwise, she would have no one.

Impa went outside. Moments passed, during which Zelda's heart palpitated and made her feel almost unbearably nervous.

Then he was there.

Link bowed his head with respect, as always. His hair was short and tidy, his appearance clean and well-groomed. The gleaming white armor of the royal knights did not suit him. Zelda much preferred his green tunic, even if it wasn't the safest option.

“It is lovely to see you once again,” Zelda said. “How long are you planning to stay this time?”

Link didn't respond, waiting for her to dismiss him. Royal etiquette had never left him, even if his words had.

“Go ahead and return to your room.” Zelda sighed internally. She always planned to get him to speak to her one way or another, but she always talked herself out of it when the moment actually arose. “You must be tired from your long journey.”

Link walked away without so much as a backward glance, the heavy double doors leading into the innards of the castle banging loudly as he passed through them. The sound echoed sharply, making Zelda shudder.

“He feels like a stranger,” Impa murmured. “Like I've never known him at all.”

Zelda forced a smile. Cheerfulness would be good here, no matter how forced. “He'll come around eventually. Remember? This is Nohansen we're talking about.”

“I've always hated that name. But I suppose it was better than nothing.” Impa shuffled her feet, probably itching to run after Link and set the record straight once and for all. “We never treated him right. Not me, not the king, and not even you. So why does it hurt so much to see him so quiet?”

“Perhaps he'll join us for dinner tonight. Maybe he'll speak to us then.” Zelda gripped the sides of her throne. Sometimes, the chair was so uncomfortable. She wished she could scour the countryside like Link, see everything he was able to see.

“Perhaps. I'll have one of the servants send word to him.”

“I hope he comes,” Zelda said. “I miss him. But maybe it's not even him I miss. Maybe it's the person I had always believed him to be.”

*

Zelda used to watch him. Always. In the hallways between lessons, out in the gardens while he practiced swords with Impa.

She watched him grow and change. And she believed in him more than anyone or anything—she believed in him more than she did herself, which was truly saying something. Zelda always had a sure stance on the value of her own worth.

Not once, not in her entire life, had anyone ever neglected to remind her she was loved, that she was a princess, that she would someday be a great monarch. Although she was lonely at times, she never doubted she was loved and there were people in Hyrule who would give their lives for her without question.

The hero, however, was obviously unhappy. He had no friends, no one to talk to. His only companion was Impa. He was basically forbidden to start up conversations with anybody else.

As a result, Zelda dreamed of the day she would finally speak to him. They would fall in love. They would know each other more intimately than they had ever known anybody else. But that day would never come.

They eventually kissed, sure, and they even held hands. But the true romance never happened. And when he died, most of Zelda's dreams of romance and love died with him.

As far as Zelda could see, the boy she had once known was dead. A different hero emerged from Ordona's spring that day so many years ago.

And maybe, when her soul had been linked with Midna's, she realized that the hero's heart could never truly belong to her.

It belonged to the Twilight Princess. And someday, once Midna returned, she would steal the hero away a second time.


	2. arrows

Zelda crept down the cold hallway of the castle. Link's bedroom door was left ajar, candlelight spilling into all the shadows and darkness left behind.

She peered around the door and into the room, surprised to find Link sitting near an open window. He was training an arrow out into some unidentifiable location, his eyes narrowed and focused.

“What are you doing?” Zelda asked, causing Link to jump. The arrow went flying, completely missing its intended mark.

“What did you think I was doing?”

Zelda crossed her arms. An attitude was the last thing she felt like dealing with. Between paperwork and restoring her kingdom to its former glory, Link's temper was the final straw.

“Being reckless, of course,” she said. “Just as you were with Ganondorf.”

Link shrugged. He began to gather his things, tossing them into the leather satchel he used to whenever he traveled.

The leather satchel meant he was leaving. Again. Just when Zelda had finally gotten him to speak.

“Where are you going?” Zelda asked.

“Out. I need to find the arrow I wasted.”

“You'll never find it! What were you shooting at, anyway?”

“It's Twilight. I was shooting at the sun.”

Zelda shook her head, shaking away the odd statement with the movement

“Please,” she said, once Link's bag was packed and he was heading for the door. “Stay just one day longer. I need you here with me.”

Link hesitated, and Zelda took that hesitation as a sign. Maybe he would finally stay and they would become a family—that was all she had ever wanted.

And at one time, hadn't he wanted to be her family, too?

“Please,” she said again. “I don't like the idea of you going out like this.”

Link's hesitation disappeared. He frowned. “Like what?”

“Like you're broken. Like nothing will ever be alright again.”

“That's not true.” Link worried his lip through his teeth. His voice was trembling. Zelda wished she could capture it and keep it as her own; at least then she wouldn't be without him.

“Then what is true?” she asked.

Link shook his head. He walked slowly over to his dresser, combing through it until he found an emerald cloak.

Zelda moved to stop him. “Please don't hide away in that. You're the hero. Everyone knows it.”

“And whose fault is that?” Link threw the cloak over his shoulders, pulling up the hood. Like this, he could look like just any other traveler.

Just another person, not the hero at all.

“My fault,” Zelda murmured. ”It's my fault you saved the world, then?”

“It is your fault. Given the chance, I would have let Ganondorf kill me right then and there. If it weren't for you, this story would be over. just as it should be.”

Zelda didn't know how to respond to that. And before any words would come, Link was already flying out the door.

She didn't see him again for almost two years.


	3. candlelight

Link waited. He'd been doing that a lot lately. Waiting. His mind was always spinning; the air was always cold, biting his skin and staining his cheeks red.

Without Midna, there was no tomorrow. No way to fight against the cold and his spinning mind.

Without her, he couldn't see no point to any of this.

She left for a reason. He knew this. She left to give him a chance to stand on his own—a chance to be himself, all on his own.

And maybe he should take that chance without question. Maybe he should finally allow himself to live.

Maybe.

But the longer Link spent away from everyone, the less there was to be alive for. His days were wasted alone, with no one to talk to, no one to love.

The wish to talk—to really talk with someone—grew stronger by the day. The wish to break that mystery barrier with people and create close relationships.

The wish to fall in love. And this time, with someone who would stay.

Instead of being as charming as a hero should be, Link was always tongue-tied and silent. The mystery of relationships continued to elude him. He still didn't understand how some people felt so close and others so distant; how relationships never wanted to be made until they already were.

Link could count the people he loved on one hand. And not one of those people loved him back. Or at least, not enough.

“Where are you going?” Zelda had asked. He had thought about that question a lot. Where was he going, and why did he want to go?

He had considered it, then. He had considering staying just a little while longer, living with her like he belonged with her and her alone. But he had only considered it like he would a bad dream; like a truth, concealed in a lie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Posting two chapters today because they're both so short. Hope you all don't mind!


	4. home

Waiting. The days passed. The ice thawed and the seasons changed.

And Link soon made the mistake of going home. Home was a fickle word—but he wanted to go to the place everything had started for him.

Ordon Village.

The woods on the way were lovely, shades of brown and green that he had forgotten until they were already there. Memories of a simpler time, however lonely—

But he was still lonely, just a different kind than he used to be.

As Link walked into the village, everyone was milling about just as they always used to, chatting and doing their daily tasks. 

The children were playing a game with a slingshot, hitting the head of a scarecrow. The head was made from a pumpkin, so seeds and guts were going flying everywhere.

For a moment, Link considered staying away. But if Hyrule Castle wasn't his home, if Kakariko Village wasn't his home—if all of these places weren't home, then Ordon Village would have to be.

He didn't feel he had much of a choice. He was running out of options.

Link walked along the stream. Ilia was carrying a wicker laundry basket over a small bridge, and when she looked up and saw him standing there, she did a double take.

“It's you,” she said, the basket dropping out of her hands and into the water. It made a splash, and she didn't seem to care when it flipped over and all of the clothing began floating down the stream. “What are you doing here?”

Link decided not to answer her. He decided to ask her his own question instead. “Do you have your memory back now?”

“Most of it.” Ilia looked down, then seemed to gather her senses. She began chasing after the clothing, and Link followed suit.

Once all of the clothing was found and wrung out and put back into the basket, the sun was setting low in the sky. The children had stopped playing; in fact, they were all looking right at him.

“You're like a celebrity now, aren't you?” Ilia laughed, tucking a tuft of her short hair behind her ear. “I'm sure Fado will be happy to see you. Everyone thought you were dead before me and the kids all returned.”

One of the kids in question stepped forward. Beth with the upturned nose. She used to tease Link relentlessly because he barely ever talked and claimed to have no name. She always dragged Malo and Talo behind her, the two of them wrapped around her little finger. (Well, maybe not Malo, but still.)

“Hi, Mr. No Name,” Beth said, laughing at her own joke even though it wasn't very funny. “What are you doing in our village?”

Link opened his mouth to answer, but Ilia beat him to it. “Link, is it?”

When Link nodded, Ilia smiled, pleased with herself for remembering. “Well, Beth, Link has come back to visit.”

Beth rolled her eyes. “Oh, he has a name now? I thought it was Tatl?”

“It is,” Link said. “I have all sorts of names, as Mr. No Name's are wont to do.”

Beth let out a laugh. She clapped her hands over her mouth, as if she couldn't even believe the sound could come from her.

Then Link noticed another child, Colin, standing a little farther behind her. His blue eyes matched Link's; but his hair was a little more blond.

Link had been used to being around Colin. To being around Uli and Rusl and pretending he didn't belong to them. After all, blood was just blood—and it was easier to pretend to be nothing than the alternative.

Than pretending to be family.

“You're back,” Colin said. A wooden sword was on his back, and Link couldn't help but feel surprised. The boy he had left behind would have never even touched a sword.

“He's back,” Ilia agreed. She handed the laundry basket off to Link. “Well, come with me. Father will be happy to have you in for supper tonight. He's making his famous stew.”

“You're back,” Colin said again, earning an eye roll from Beth. He narrowed his eyes, studying Link closely. Link wondered for a moment if it was his outfit; or maybe the Twilight marking had suddenly reappeared.

But before Link can question him, Ilia whisked him away, laying her hand on the small of his back.

Link can't remember the last time he was touched by anyone. Everything had been handshakes over deals and treaties; never a touch like this.

He never wanted the touch to end.

Malo and Talo then decided to run over, both of them wielding slingshots. “It's the hero!” Talo shouted.

“…but he's so young…” Malo mumbled, earning a whack of the head by Ilia as they passed through.

Ordon Village was so ridiculously beautiful. Link could remember them, the steady passing of days. He remembered herding the goats with Epona, telling them all about his thoughts and dreams even though he knew they couldn't understand a single word.

Those days weren't so bad. But he knew that after seeing everything and feeling the stirrings of love and heartbreak, it would never be enough.

Soon enough they walked upon the mayor's house, Ilia pushed open the door with her hip. She kept it open so Link could pass through with the dripping laundry basket. 

Mayor Bo was in the process of painting the face on a monkey knickknack. When he saw Link standing there, the monkey fell and shattered against the wooden floor.

“You're alive!”

“I told you that months ago.” Ilia rolled her eyes, pointing at a spot in the corner where Link could dump the laundry.

“But still.” Bo walked over the mess of glass, his sandals crunching over it. He gripped Link's shoulders, shaking him. “It's so nice to see you again!”

Link grinned sheepishly. He knew this was going to be a wild few weeks. For some reason, he hadn't expected everyone in Ordon Village to miss him so much.

“How long are you planning on staying?” Bo asked. He led Link over to the table, sitting him down.

“I'm not sure.”

“Do you have a place to stay?”

Link looked away. “I'm used to sleeping outside. It's not that big of a deal.”

Bo frowned, his bushy mustache drooping. “And you have no horse? How do you get everywhere, by walking?”

“My horse disappeared,” Link began, but Ilia put up a hand to stop him.

“Stop pestering the poor guy, Dad!” Ilia said, sitting down on the chair next to Link. He couldn't help but notice how pretty she was; her short brown hair, her green eyes. Before, a relationship with somebody like her seemed impossible.

But now that he's a hero, a man—it didn't seem so impossible—

The memory of Midna tugged at the back of his mind, but that was all it was: a memory. Memories couldn't sustain him for the rest of his life. They just couldn't.

Whether he liked it or not, some new memories were about to be made.


	5. heat

“Maybe you should just tell him how you feel,” Colin suggested. He whittled away at the fishing rod he was making, trying to make it perfect. Any imperfections would surely be noticed by Link, and Colin wanted to make sure everything was the best it could be.

Not that he would say anything negative. Link wasn't the kind of person who would do something like that. It was just the principle of it all—Colin didn't want Link to feel the need to hold anything back to spare his feelings. He wanted Link to think the best of him.

He wanted Link to care.

Ilia laughed at Colin's suggestion, lounging on the couch. Colin wasn't even sure why she had come to him for advice in the first place. Most people didn't like him, and it seemed strange for such an older girl to come over to his house so late at night and bombard him with questions.

Colin set the fishing rod aside, pushing his knife back into its sheath with a satisfying whoosh. “I'm sure he won't reject you. You're a pretty girl.”

“How do you know for sure? He barely speaks to anyone, let alone me.” Ilia fiddled with one of her earrings, staring mournfully at nothing in particular. “Does he speak to you often?”

“Yeah. He's like a brother to me.” Colin smirked. “And he should be over any moment now.”

Ilia pinked. She startled when the door rattled open, revealing the subject of interest.

Link looked surprised to see Ilia in Colin's house but didn't say anything. He just stood in the doorway, not daring to come all the way inside. The hot night air filtered in behind him, letting in the bugs.

“Oh. Hi.” Ilia moved to stand up. “I was just on my way out, actually—”

“You can stay.” Colin tried to offer her an encouraging smile, but Ilia didn't notice it. She was too busy plopping back down on the couch and making a point not to look at Link. “Maybe this is your chance to, you know, say what you feel.”

Link finally shut the door behind him, effectively keeping out both the humidity and the bugs. He looked at Ilia, waiting for whatever she had to say.

“Well,” she began. “Um, I was wondering… if you wanted to…”

That was when both of Colin's parents, Rusl and Uli, walked in. Uli began to laugh, whereas Rusl just glared at Colin as usual. Colin's cheeks burned in shame, but he wasn't sure why.

“So many people!” Uli exclaimed. She sat down beside Ilia on the couch, rubbing her pregnant belly. “What brings you here, Ilia?”

“I wanted to visit Colin,” she said.

“Oh, really?” Uli winked. “I guess I can accept that. I don't know when you became such a lady's man, Colin.”

Rusl began to inspect Link as usual. If there was one person Colin knew he should be more like, it was him.

He had only been back home for two weeks, and everyone was already obsessed with him. A man like that—a man like Link—was definitely someone to imitate.

“Couldn't sleep?” Rusl asked.

Link shrugged. “Of course.”

“Well, it's rather late for you to be out.”

Uli laughed. “Oh, come on, Rusl. Everyone knows Link's a night owl.”

“I think I should get going,” Ilia announced. She stood up, giving everyone a shaky smile. “My father will be wondering where I am.”

Link opened the door for Ilia, letting her out. His eyes followed after her, lingering long after she gone. Colin personally thought the atmosphere was immediately better without her in it.

“Maybe you should get going, too,” Uli said. “Rusl's right—it's too late for you to be out. You're still just a child, you know.”

Link nodded, his golden earrings glinting in the dying light of day. He left without so much as a goodbye.

The house was silent for a long time. Uli began sewing one of the outfits for the new baby, and Rusl discarded his work clothes and crawled into bed.

Colin resumed his work on the fishing rod. If he had learned anything from his father, it was that your hands should never be idle. Everyone in Ordon Village had a good work ethic, and Colin didn't want to disappoint anyone by being lazy.

If there was anything he could help, it was that.

Once Rusl was snoring, Uli set aside her sewing project. “I've been worried about Link. He doesn't seem himself lately—the journey changed him.”

“He seems the same to me,” Colin whispered. The last thing he wanted to do was wake up his father. Uli snuffed out the candles, suspending the room in darkness.

Which meant it was also time for Colin to go to bed, too. And he hated that he was tired. He wasn't like Link—he couldn't stay up all night without any problem. It wasn't fair how Link could do so many things that Colin couldn't.

Especially considering they were brothers. Maybe. He'd had that suspicion for awhile, even when Link was just a ranch hand without a name. But his parents never said a word—

“I don't know,” Uli said, patting Colin on the head. “He used to look a lot happier, I think. But there's no use in worrying, is there?”

Colin shrugged, and his mother's hand left his head. “Maybe my fishing rod will cheer him up,” he said.

Even though Colin couldn't see Uli's smile, he could feel it. Colin undressed and laid down on his makeshift bed, closing his eyes. He dreamed of the look on Link's face when he finally received his gift tomorrow.

Hopefully that would finally give him a smile.


	6. epona

“You're leaving so soon?” Ilia frowned. “Colin will be upset. He views you as a brother, you know.”

Link did know that rather well. But telling Ilia that would only make the situation worse, not better.

“I have to go,” he said, throwing everything into his bag as he did so—bottles and medicine and dried fruits and nuts. All of the things that had been keeping him alive for so long. “I never stay anywhere for more than a month. It's rare that I do.”

Ilia reached out to touch his cheek, stopping Link in his tracks. One of the bottles rolled off the bed and onto the floor, but he didn't bend to retrieve it.

Link's heart jolted as Ilia kissed him, her lips warm on his neck. Gently, she turned his head, and their lips met.

Even though he didn't want to, Link pushed her away. “I'm sorry, Ilia. But I have somebody else.”

“That isn't true,” Ilia whispered. “You're the loneliest person I've ever known.”

Link felt tears smart his eyes. He reached out, taking Ilia's hands in his own. He stared down at their joined hands for a moment, marveling at the peculiar feeling.

Then he decided to kiss her. To really kiss her. To feel her soft lips and her warm breath and to hear her moan and want and feel—

But a horse whinnied. Link dropped her hands like they burned him, running towards the window and flinging it open. Below stood his horse—Epona—being led by Fado.

“Link!” Fado exclaimed. Everyone had slipped into his new name so easily; he was so grateful—he really was.

But his horse was down there—alive and in one piece—so the time for feeling sentimental wasn't now.

“What's going on?” Ilia said. She was breathing heavily—Link realized he was, too. She leaned out the window, widening her eyes considerably when she saw Epona.

Link climbed out the window despite Ilia's words of protest and Fado's exclamations, climbing down the vines that crawled up the mayor's house.

He hit the ground. Epona looked healthy and more than happy to see him. And Link realized he was crying.

He just couldn't believe it.

“She just dropped out of the sky or something,” Fado said, petting Epona's side. “Crazy, isn't it?”

Link wrapped his arms around Epona's neck, breathing in her scent. They had been best friends. She had been originally given to him by Fado to help with herding the goats.

She was the best gift he had ever received. And she was alive.

“I guess you just found a way to get out of here even faster,” Ilia said, walking up behind him. “But I'm happy. I've always loved Epona, too.”

Link couldn't imagine anyone feeling as happy as him about this moment. And he had a pretty good idea of who had sent Epona down here, especially if she had “dropped out of the sky or something.”

Midna. And if Midna had sent Epona, she must have been watching him.

She must be watching him now.

But if she was, why didn't she care that he's practically dying without her there to guide him? Why didn't she care that he was all alone?

Ilia reached out to pat Link's shoulder. Fado was busy recounting his tale of watching Epona materialize out of thin air.

Alone. But was he really alone? Link looked up, blinking away his tears, and Ilia took the chance to kiss his cheek. He might love her. Not as much as Midna—he could never love anyone as much as her.

But he might love Ilia. Because she had been the only one, in all these years, to manage to make him feel less alone.

And that was definitely something.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you guys think I'd forgotten about Epona? ;-) Well, I actually did. But then I remembered that at some point in Part 1 I mentioned Epona being missing. So... here she is! Thanks Midna. 
> 
> Hopefully you all enjoyed this chapter! Thanks for reading! :-)


	7. again

Ilia stared at the scars strewn across Link's bare back. She touched them, feeling each of their grooves and shapes. She couldn't imagine what he must have gone through—what he must still be going through—to have achieved such scars.

“Aren't I ugly?” Link asked, voice muffled by his pillow.

“Of course you're not.” Ilia frowned, drawing her hand away. She actually thought he was one of the best-looking people she had ever seen; he was lean yet muscular, kind and humble. He was a little on the short side for a Hylian—but there would be no complaints from her.

“I must be,” Link said. “This tired body has been through too many things. I probably look like an old man now.”

Ilia laughed. She tossed the blanket over Link's back so it covered him. “You look young enough to me. How old are you? You can't be more than twenty.”

Link didn't respond. The silence stretched. And Ilia knew that he was already thinking about leaving again. If he stayed in one place for too long, then he would form relationships—

He would have something to lose.

“I'm nineteen, I think,” Link murmured, and Ilia didn't try to press any further.

*

Funnily enough, during the twilight—not the scary omnipresent kind, but the normal kind—Link decided to leave. Ilia was asleep, her brown curls strewn across the pillowcase. Link kissed her on the cheek, knowing it would be the last time.

He gathered all of his things, covered himself in a dark blue cloak, and set off. Epona neighed when she noticed him. Link hopped onto her back, feeding her a carrot he stole from Mayor Bo's kitchen.

Link didn't know where he was going. Maybe somewhere else—a country other than Hyrule. He was tired of this place, where he was expected to fix the mistakes of past lives and to be the hero everyone needed.

He didn't know where he was going, but it wouldn't be here.

As Link was about cross the gate and into Faron Woods, he was stopped by Colin. The little boy ran up, wagging a fishing rod in the air.

“Big brother!” he said. “Wait!”

Link bristled at the term of affection. Regardless, he took off his hood, giving Colin a pointed look. “I'm not your real brother,” he said softly.

Colin didn't smile. “I think you are. Really. Dad is so obsessed with you and Mom cries at night—”

“She cries?”

Colin shook his head. “I didn't mean to say that. But if you're not my big brother, that's okay, too. I just wanted to give you this.” He handed Link the fishing rod. It was poorly made, sure, but it was a gift from the heart.

“You can't leave yet,” Colin continued. “We all love you here, and we don't want you to go.”

Link hesitated only a moment. Then something about the fishing rod and its innocence broke his heart and—

He decided to stay.


	8. not for her

Midna missed him. She watched him quite often, and she almost felt like a god because of it.

She missed him. And it hurt her to see him so sad, walking across Hyrule with a sour expression all day, everyday.

Well, he used to be sad. Until he found them.

Midna supposed she should be happy. After all, everything seemed to be coming together quite nicely for Link. He was back in Ordon Village, falling in love with Ilia, and was closer to his family than he ever was before.

Midna supposed she should be happy. But sometimes watching people like a god meant that she couldn't interfere. She could only watch, safe in the Twilight Realm, while Link moved on without her.

She knew Zelda felt the same. When two hearts were once entwined, there's no way around knowing certain things. Zelda felt the same, Midna was sure of it—she felt the same lingering sadness that Link would move on and create a new life without them. And that, as the days passed, there was more and more of a chance that they would never see him again.

But Link was never theirs. He belonged to Hyrule, to the gods, and he will continue being the strong, dependable hero everyone needs—and that's really how it should be. Even if it hurts, that's how it should be.

Midna just wished… that things could be a little bit different, and she wished she didn't have to miss him quite so much.


	9. boundaries

It was twilight. The normal kind. Even so, Link could sometimes still feel the crawling beneath his skin, his wolf form threatening to break through and claim him once and for all.

Link both loved and hated the twilight. He couldn't allow himself to completely hate it, because Midna was out there somewhere, living among its purples and blues. Living without him. Moving on, without him.

And he couldn't completely hate Midna, either. His love for her was an ache that never went away. He could fall in love again—he knew that now, he was knowing that now—but he would always love Midna in a special, different way.

“What are you doing?” Ilia asked. She yawned, standing in the doorway of the Mayor's house. The twilight was fading, making way for the night.

“Just thinking,” Link said.

“You're always just thinking,” Ilia teased. She moved to sit next to him on the rickety old porch, staring up the sky, trying to see what Link could see.

But the twilight was already gone, so Link knew there was no reason to look.

“I'm going to have to leave again,” Link said. “And not because I'm running away, but because—”

“You have duties.” Ilia smiled. She touched his shoulder, setting him at ease. “I understand. Where do you plan to go next?”

“Zora's Domain, I think. I would like to see Prince Ralis again and see what I can do to help.”

Ilia stuck out her tongue. “He wanted to marry me, you know.”

“I know.” Link decided not to mention that Ralis wasn't the one who wanted to—it was Zant pretending to be Ralis. But that would only be confusing at his point, maybe even disheartening…

“When you walked into Telma's Bar that day, I think I fell in love with you.”

Link felt love bloom in his chest. Not an aching love, but a new love. A sweet, painless love that he wanted to feel more and more of.

“Aren't you going to respond?” Ilia pouted.

Link laughed. “Fine. I fell in love with you… just now.”

“Now?” Ilia pout fell away, a shocked expression and a blush replacing it. She scooted away, tucking one of her curls behind her ear.

“I thought I loved you before, but I'm sure I do now. I'm absolutely positive.” Link scooted after her, crossing the short distance between them.

For once, he felt his age. Just a kid, stupid and in love.


	10. escape

Link used to think he would like to escape to the Twilight Realm. He could be a king, just like Midna used to say he could be.

When he was young, living in the castle, he also thought he would like to be a king. He could rule over Hyrule, not as a hero, but as a king.

But he wouldn't want to be a king, not anymore. He liked being the hero. He liked being the person everyone depended on. He liked being the person he was.

Because time was passing. Things were changing, as swiftly as always. Link was growing older. The promises he and Ilia had made back at Ordon were not forgotten; no, they were only growing stronger.

It was the older memories that were fading. The memories of his youth, the memories of Midna.

Two years had passed since he'd been to Hyrule Castle. It shamed him how he'd acted. How he'd treated Zelda, and Impa, and everyone else. But heartbreak was a strange thing that never had rhyme or reason.

It was something that faded, but never truly disappeared.

“You're here,” Zelda said. She stood up, looking around. “How'd you get into my room? Where were the guards?”

“I came through the secret passage,” Link said sheepishly. He probably shouldn't have sneaked up on her. “Remember when I was a wolf?”

“How could I forget?” Zelda sighed, sitting back down at her desk. “I thought you were never going to return.”

The years stretched between the two of them, long and harsh. But the years could only stretch so far before they snapped.

The two of them would always be close; after going through the things they did, there was no other way.

“Midna spoke to me,” Zelda said. “A few months ago. She told me not to tell you.”

“Of course she didn't.” Link felt himself smile. Heartbreak was a strange thing. It made you do things you never thought you'd do.

“She told me she's been watching you. And she's happy for you.”

Link's skin itched. It was strange. He thought he would never miss being a wolf, but he missed it now. He missed Midna sitting on his back. He missed her slapping his sides and pulling his earrings and—

“She told me not to tell you any of this. But she also said, that if you asked her to, she'd return.”

“I've wanted her to return many times. She told me we'd meet again, but that's never happened. It doesn't matter what I want.”

Zelda smiled, but it wasn't a happy one. It seemed distant, lost to another time. “I'm sorry I told her to leave all those years ago. I knew she loved you, but I didn't know you loved her back.”

“Things were different then,” Link said. “And when she told me we might see each other again, I think we both knew she was lying.”

“I hope you forgive her.”

“I do. I forgive everyone.”

Link realized that everything he was saying, it was true. The adventure was gone. Real life was happening, the years were building.

And everyone was forgiven, including himself. Time helped ease the pain; and heartbreak, the strange creature it was, helped, too.

“When she returns,” Link said. “If she returns, I hope she remembers that I've never stopped loving her, not for a moment.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who has read and enjoyed this story. You all make me really happy. :-)
> 
> I honestly don't know what I'll be posting next, so if anybody has ideas, please let me know!
> 
> Thanks again. <3


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